I'm still planning on moving...

[DaveB]

Man OnMyWay...that's a whole boat load of great information.  Very big thank you.  If I can actually get to Subic and land some place, I owe ya a beer.

Beyond "get to Subic", my plans are wide open, but I have some very specific goals.  I plan to just hole up in a resort for the first week and avail myself of the van and use that time to get around the barrangays.  If it turns out we like it there, we might settle in a short term apartment, and spend the time finding something more long term.  Had planned to look into a car rental for that part.  I would be great if we lock something in by the time we do our Christmas trip.  I have balikbayan boxes sitting in storage just waiting for an address to ship to.

Again...really appreciate the help.  Definitely want to hook up with your recommended van guy.  Might need him for a couple days.  Daily lunch is on me.  He can charge me his "tour guide" rate.

[OnMyWay]

13 minutes ago, DaveB said:

Man OnMyWay...that's a whole boat load of great information.  Very big thank you.  If I can actually get to Subic and land some place, I owe ya a beer.

Beyond "get to Subic", my plans are wide open, but I have some very specific goals.  I plan to just hole up in a resort for the first week and avail myself of the van and use that time to get around the barrangays.  If it turns out we like it there, we might settle in a short term apartment, and spend the time finding something more long term.  Had planned to look into a car rental for that part.  I would be great if we lock something in by the time we do our Christmas trip.  I have balikbayan boxes sitting in storage just waiting for an address to ship to.

Again...really appreciate the help.  Definitely want to hook up with your recommended van guy.  Might need him for a couple days.  Daily lunch is on me.  He can charge me his "tour guide" rate.

Actually I remembered that Dex is already in our recommended transport thread here:

However, I messaged him to see if he is still in the van service business, since Covid.  Business would be nil right now and he some other things going on.  He will probably get back to me in the AM.

If you don't need a huge room at a resort, a friend just bought the Arizona Resort in Barrio Barreto.  I'm sure he could make you a good deal.  He told me a guy has been living there 6 months.  They are planning to make the resort more family friendly than many of the resorts in Baretto.

Inside the base, there are some decent places in downtown near the bay, but not for swimming.  Swimming is not allowed in that area.  Most have good pools.  If you want to stay at a more remote hotel with a good beach, consider Camayan.  However, it is about a 25 minute drive to the downtown area.

 

[Balisidar]

On 8/30/2020 at 12:54 PM, DaveB said:

Meanwhile...anyone feel like wading in about the Batangas area south of Manila?  It's kinda popped up on our radar lately.  We might want to wander down that way and check it out, too. 

My wife and are pretty close to deciding on living in Lipa city.  Cheaper than Tagaytay and it's relatively high elevation so stays a bit cooler.  

Although I've noticed quite a few foreclosures in the Tagaytay area lately.  

[DaveB]

Was glad to see some explanation of just what "multiple entry" really means on a 9A visa.  I was suspicious that it was actually that simple.  

So far I'm not seeing major travel restrictions going from Pampanga to Zambales - trying to sort out if I have to get a travel permit of some kind in Angeles City to get going and/or to be allowed to check in at a Subic resort.  If anyone has some insight, love to hear it, but I think I can get the info at the police station in Angeles too.  

I might linger a bit in Angeles.  Wife needs to do the obligatory family visit.  Also...I'm still determined to chase the 13A visa until I beat it down, or it beats me.  So I'm going to take the complete package I have in hand, with all the required documentation, and visit the BI in Angeles City.  If there are things to be re-done, and I can pull that off while I'm there, it's worth a couple weeks lingering around there to wrestle it to the ground.  

[DaveB]

By the way...if getting to Batangas involves driving through Manila, that by itself might be a deal breaker.  I, too, have a deep seated hatred for Manila traffic.  Angeles City is bad enough.  I'm being a little facetious, of course...but not a lot.  

[OnMyWay]

On 9/3/2020 at 2:05 AM, DaveB said:

By the way...if getting to Batangas involves driving through Manila, that by itself might be a deal breaker.  I, too, have a deep seated hatred for Manila traffic.  Angeles City is bad enough.  I'm being a little facetious, of course...but not a lot.  

Add in possible checkpoints, and it would be even more problematic.  I hate driving there and look forward to the completion of the expressway, zooming right over Manila.

[OnMyWay]

On 9/3/2020 at 2:03 AM, DaveB said:

Was glad to see some explanation of just what "multiple entry" really means on a 9A visa.  I was suspicious that it was actually that simple.  

So far I'm not seeing major travel restrictions going from Pampanga to Zambales - trying to sort out if I have to get a travel permit of some kind in Angeles City to get going and/or to be allowed to check in at a Subic resort.  If anyone has some insight, love to hear it, but I think I can get the info at the police station in Angeles too.  

I might linger a bit in Angeles.  Wife needs to do the obligatory family visit.  Also...I'm still determined to chase the 13A visa until I beat it down, or it beats me.  So I'm going to take the complete package I have in hand, with all the required documentation, and visit the BI in Angeles City.  If there are things to be re-done, and I can pull that off while I'm there, it's worth a couple weeks lingering around there to wrestle it to the ground.  

The current tourist situation for coming into Subic is not good.  Stupid, actually.  Hopefully it will change later.  This was just published on the 8th.

[scott h]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

The current tourist situation for coming into Subic is not good

IKR? The powers that be keep pratting on about getting the tourism sector running, but they keep those of us with money from spending it 

[Gas]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Add in possible checkpoints, and it would be even more problematic.  I hate driving there and look forward to the completion of the expressway, zooming right over Manila.

They are not checking any vehicle's between Angeles and Batangas at the present time. Traffic in Manila was not too bad early morning yesterday, but you never know from day to day. 

Like you i look forward to flying over manila, i just hope the off ramps have more than two lanes. 

[DaveB]

Much of their advisory is essentially a duplication of what you go through already just to get into the country.  We're set to fly on Oct 4 - we'll go through a swab test, hotel quarantine, then self quarantine and be done with all that by Oct 20th.  Then we go to Subic the next day and start all over again?  Even though we have the medical and travel clearances we just got from Manila?  That's nuts.

Having said that - this seems to pertain to the Freeport Zone only.  If I want to stay in an Barreto resort (assuming I find one open), and want to do my house hunting outside of the old Navy Base boundaries, am I still OK to do that?  I don't have a pre-disposition to live in the Freeport zone (though it'd like it to be one of the options I'm considering), so I'm wondering if I'm interpreting this too literally.  Appreciate feedback from those on the ground. 

We're at the end of disposing of our household items, and we're out of this house on Sept 30 , tickets bought - the dye is cast.  Worse comes to worse, we'll find a place to live in Angeles City, hunker down, wait for COVID crazy to settle down, and consider relocating then.  

Every time you think you have the rules sorted out, they change them.